


Loose Ends

by ThatAnnoyingUser



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:46:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatAnnoyingUser/pseuds/ThatAnnoyingUser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Pines family was anxious. They had Bill-proofed the shack but was that enough? Of course it wasn't, it'd be naïve to think that it was enough. And so, they awaited for Bill's next move. They knew they had to act, but how?</p><p>And, out of the blue, they found a clue. Literally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Gravity Falls nor its characters, Alex Hircsh does. I only own the plot and my OC.

   I felt unbearable pain in my head, and screamed in agony. I hated him, I hated this. I didn't want to be paranoid of everyone and everything, I didn't want to feel this pain, I didn't want to hear his voice, _I didn't want to live_. But... I deserved every bit of this torture.

    "Well, well, well! Look at what we have here," the playful voice I knew very well filled my mind. My vision tunneled and split in half. I looked at the triangle demon floating in my mind. Why was he still torturing me? Why hadn't he killed me? I couldn't provide much entertainment now, could I?

    I was snapped out of my thoughts when Bill spoke again. "Why won't you speak? Cat got your tongue?" I kept my mind blank, knowing that he would now anything I thought of.

    "Why am I still alive?" I asked. I needed to know the answer to the question, no matter how sadistic it most likely was. He flew around me.

    "I find you entertaining. You've no problem with it, right?" As if I had the right to complain...

    "What are you planning?" I asked. He said nothing as he observed my mind. Every mind had a different setting, one that meant a lot to them. My mind was the replica of the orphanage I spent the majority of my life in.

    "A lot of things. I have to go now, busy myself with boring stuff." The mind ache he left behind when he left was uncomfortable, tiring, and pretty dang ache-y. I held my hand and closed my eyes, wishing the ache away even though I already knew it'd go away in a couple of minutes.

    I leaned against a tree and sat on the dirt, too tired to stand. The forest had been my home for about 5 years now, and I was not happy with that. Eh, at least I knew where to get food. A memory of Bill's surfaced in my mind. I threw it to the back of my mind, too tired to worry about it now. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come.

~•~

**10-9-21 1-12 6-8-22 6-14-12 13-2-18 ?**


	2. -2-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post... once a week? I don't know. Expect short chapters and stuff like that, as I am juggling this and school.
> 
> Thank you all for so many hits! That's legitimately awesome! Enjoy this chapter, though it's kind of a filler/progress chapter.

    In my mind, there was nothing. There was just an empty void where Bill usually would be. What had happened to him? Was he seriously _that_ busy planning the apocalypse?

    I looked at the new memory that had surfaced, one of the many memories of Bill Cipher. I had just recently succeeded in making a self defense mechanism in my mind, forcing him to leave a memory of his to freshen his presence, and ultimately be his key into my mind. He had given up his own plan in order to hide things about himself, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I knew what exactly he was.

    I was surprised that this wasn't a part of his plan. It was a fight with some gigantic baby with a strange symbol on his forehead. Why were they fighting? Who was the baby? I frowned and focused on the memory. People with futuristic weapons, fire licking thr air, civilians cowering in fear... 

    Was this the future? Was this what we were going to be like in upcoming years?

    I opened my eyes when I heard someone shout. I quickly sat up and studied my surroundings. I was... in a room?

    Standing in the doorframe were 4 people. Two of them looked around my age, they both had brown hair and brown eyes. The girl had braces and wore a colorful sweater, while the boy was wearing something casual and a hat with a pine tree on it. 

    _Shooting Star and Pine Tree..._

    The other two were old men. They had gray hair and brown eyes, they were undoubtedly siblings as well. One of them had glasses, while the other wore a fez.

    _Glasses and Claw..._

    "Uh... Why is there an albino in our room?" Pine Tree asked. Shooting Star quickly ran over to me. 

    "Hi, my name is Mabel! What's yours?" Shooting Star was strangely friendly... Had she even heard of the term _stranger-danger_?

    "A-A-Amber..." I stuttered. What? I was the outcast of the orphanage I was in, and lived in a forest with no one but a demon when I got out. Can you blame me for being nervous?

    "How did you get in here?" Pine Tree asked. He was paranoid... Well, who could blame him? Bill had gone inside his mind and controlled him without his constent.

    "I brought her in. She was napping in the forest, and decided that she could use some help." Glasses replied. 

    "I do not need any guests." Claw argued.

    "You? This is my shack!"

    "It _was_."

    "Um..." I started. I didn't know what to say. Do you interfere with sibling fights? Did they happen often? I felt my chest getting heavy. How should _I_ know?

    "Stay outta this, albino." Claw sneered.

    One simply cannot use the term ' _albino_ ' to someone who had told you their name. I snapped. "Glasses, I doubt you brought me here from the kindness of your heart. Stop fighting and tell us the true reason." The nickname I used was enough to make them all stop. Mabel took a step backwards.

    "How do you know that nickname?" Pine Tree asked, too quickly for it to sound casual. 

    Glasses sighed. "You're right... You know, Bill talked about you. He described you as ' _a toy that'll never break_ '. When I saw you napping at the forest... Well, I thought that you might be a lead."

    I thought about it for a while. "Why can't I reach Bill from here?"

    "We Bill-proofed the shack." 

    I nodded a little. He was requesting me to fight alongside them, which was an offer I couldn't deny. This'd be where we'll lead the game. I felt a flicker of hope, but quickly shoved it down. Hope was nothing but a burden in the midst of war. "OK, then. Although it'll protect the family and myself, there are people outside the shack. Important people, ones who have a spot on this little game-"

    "Game? Little game? This is a matter of life and death, not a game! I thought you'd understand that, since you're human. But you think more like B-"

    "This is only a game for Bill. If that's how he thinks, we might as well think like that too. Now, we have to play our cards right."

    "We don't have any cards. We've never had any to begin with."

    "What are you talking about? I don't know what you see, but I see a bunch of cards waiting to be played."

    "I'm not using my family."

    "You don't have the right to choose. As you said, this is a matter of life and death."

    Pine Tree shook his head. "We don't need to talk about this today. Let's just... take it easy. Please." 

    I nodded and dropped the topic. They were just normal kids, and Claw didn't know Bill well enough. 

    "I don't want to hear those nicknames more than I have to, so... I'm Stanford, but call me Ford. This is my brother Stanley-"

    "Call me Stan." Claw interrupted. Ford glared at his brother before continuing.

    "That's Dipper and you already know Mabel." Ford finished. 

    I smiled. "Nice to finally meet all of you. You've really gotten under the skin of a certain nacho." The rest also smiled, though Stan's smile was off. I dismissed it, thinking it was because of his lack of experience with the demon.

    Dipper looked at me for a while. "Do you want anything to eat or drink? We have some pizza and Pitt Soda." 

    Pit Soda? What were those? And pizza... It had been a while since I last ate one... I smiled at him gratefully. "A Pitt Soda, please. And thank you." Dipper shrugged and walked away.

    "I think you should first take a bath," Stan offered. "I don't know if you ever saw yourself in the mirror, but you look like a caveman. Or girl, whatever." 

    I frowned and stood up, walking to the mirror. I never looked at myself after the... accident. My white hair was in knots, and there were a few leaves sticking out of it. My clothes were ripped, and stained with dirt and dried blood. I was stained with earth from head to toe. I looked down at my shoes, which were ripped and also stained with dirt. I made a face. 

    "A bath sounds nice. Can I use your bathroom?" 

    Stan shrugged. "First door to the left. Knock yourself out." 

    I smiled and quickly scrambled into the bathroom. I stayed in the bath long enough for my body to feel freshened up again. When was the last time I felt like this?

    I got out of the bath tub and brushed my hair, surprised by its whiteness and its length. I quickly covered my body with a towel and got out of the bathroom, walking back to the room I woke up in.

    Dipper was reading a seemingly old journal, while Mabel was playing with a pig. Mabel grinned when she saw me.

    "Sorry, Bro-Bro, but you've gotta go!" Mabel said. Dipper looked up from his journal and looked at me before looking away and blushing. He stood up and walked away, not sparing a glance at me. I shut the door behind him and hugged the towel closer.

    Mabel smiled crazily and tgrew some clothes at me. "WEAR THESE!" I sighed and looked them over. A dark violet miniskirt, a green t-shirt with buttons (a polo shirt? I had seen them in a mall long ago.) and undergarments.

    Mabel turned around as I dressed. I looked at myself in the mirror, not liking it. Dark green and violet? Not a good mix. Mabel threw me more clothes until she and I were both satisfied.

    Now I wore a sleeveless pink t-shirt with a blue miniskirt. How many miniskirts did this girl have? Mabel squealed. "That looks absolutely _adorable_!"

    "Thanks," I said. "Let's join up with the rest." Mabel nodded and we both walked into their... living room? I couldn't tell what it was, honestly. There was a TV and couches, so it was a living room, right?

    I felt pain in my eyes when I looked at the lighted room. My eyes watered. I stood awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable.

   "Ah, Amber and Mabel. Take a seat." Ford said, gesturing to the room. I sat on the floor with Mabel, not knowing what to exactly do. These people didn't really trust me, so I guess I should put myself where they can easily see me, right? 

    "How, why, and when exactly did you meet Bill? I know Dipper said to tame it easy, but we can't avoid this question." Ford said, waving his arms around. I knew he was a scientist but damn, those were too many hand gestures.

    "That's not a topic I like to talk about. But I can tell you that I probably met Bill... the day I was born. I've known him for as long as I remember. He was the one who taught me how to talk, the ABCs, the numbers... He taught me everything I know. I don't know why or how I met Bill, though." 

    The four of them listened in an astonished silence. I looked at my lap, causing some tears to fall. My eyes stung.

    "So... Bill is everything to you? And you still want to destroy him?" Ford asked. I nodded.

    "What kind of a relationship is that?" Dipper asked, making a face.

    "A weird one." I stated. Call me Captain Obvious all you want, it's the truth.

    "But why exactly?" Ford asked.

    I remembered the tears, the cries, the fire, the blood... "Because he wants to destroy the world. Ain't that enough?" was all I revealed.

    Ford narrowed his eyes, but Stan looked satisfied. "Let's talk about this another day. But now, it's time to eat!"

    And so that concluded the little interview session. _Am I going to destroy another family?_ I thought to myself.

    _I don't know._


	3. -3-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are awesome! Enjoy the chapter~

    "You were a mistake."

    "Satan's child!"

    "You'll rot in _Hell_!"

    " _PLEASE STOP_!" I woke up, tears streaming down my face. I quietly sat up, looking around myself. It was only then did I realize Dipper and Mabel were looking at me with concerned expressions.

    I missed Bill. He wouldn't give me any opportunity to have nightmares, to wander in the past. He'd leave me too tired to do stuff like that. But now, I had nothing but plans to lull me to sleep, and those weren't tiring enough. 

    I wiped my tears away. I needed to focus, stay strong. That was the first lesson I was taught. I smiled at the twins. "Just a nightmare. Nothing major." I almost believed the lie myself. Heh.

    Dipper and Mabel were easily fooled. A smile and a reassuring word were enough to make them believe whatever you wanted them to believe. Which was why I couldn't use them for my plans yet.

   My plans... What exactly were they? I had no idea. For all I knew, Bill might've already known that I was going to find the Pines family and had been feeding me lies this whole time. Now that'd suck...

    I stood up from my makeshift bed. "What time is it?"

    "9.45 am. Breakfast is ready. We were sent to wake you, but..." Typical of them. They were always too scared to wake me up during a nightmare. 

    I headed towards Mabel's wardrobe. "You guys go on ahead. I'll be with you in a minute." 

    The twins nodded and exited the room, shutting it behind them. I sighed, this was what life was now: Easy days at the Mystery Shack. Nothing new ever happened, except for Soos's stories. I swear that man never runs out of unusual things to tell...

    What was Bill doing now? Was he selecting a new pawn? He had unlimited cards to think of. I felt sick to the stomach when I thought about the possibility of those new "pawns" being Dipper and Mabel's parents. 

    Dipper and Mabel... Oh, the poor souls. They had been thrown into this danger so blindly, so unexpectedly. They'd just wanted to have a summer over at Gravity Falls... 

    And now, their family was being divided apart by a triangle mind demon. Heck, not only their family but their entire dimension. Stanley and Stanford never did like each other, and I could see Mabel and Dipper parting ways as well. Slowly, with atom-sized steps. Their parents, friends weren't safe as long as Bill could teleport into the Dreamscape. They were going to be made aware of that soon enough.

    I smirked. I had no right to think thoughts like this. Not when I had a past so twisted and wicked. I exited the room, leaving those thoughts behind. I half expected to hear Bill laugh at my twisted thoughts and thank me for the idea, but it was just me being paranoid as usual. 

    I scowled at the stack of pancakes with mouth and eyes made of bacon. I didn't have the appetite to eat, but I ate anyways for the sake of my past self. I may never have this kind of breakfast again...

    I shook those thoughts off my mind and finished my breakfast, feeling as if I was about to throw up. I looked around the table, everyone had finished their breakfast and we're waiting for me to speak.

    "We don't really have an upper hand. Bill is cruel, and he is absolutely brilliant. He might've already guessed that I'd come here one way or another. He could've fed me lies. But, we're not about to scrap everything under the rug. Now, the plans I know of are," I took a deep breath. This was going to be hard. "He wants to have a pawn outside the Mystery Shack. He wants Stan and Soos on his side, as they know all about you guys. But you have it harder, Ford. He wants your entire family to die before you and torture you until you cannot take it anymore, and we're not talking about just your body here." 

    Ford gulped. "He can torture me anyway he wants, but why does he want Stan, Soos and the kids? They're completely innocent. Why does he want to destroy the universe?"

    "I can answer only one question. Dipper, Mabel, and Soos are strong, smart enough to have a chance to stop him as you and Stan do. Dipper and Mabel also got under his skin real good. Soos is dumb most of the time. And Stan... Well, one time Bill got inside Stan's head thinking he was you. He'd pretty pissed off at that. I don't know about why he wants to destroy the universe, though. Maybe he's just those crazy psychopaths who do evil things for the hell of it." 

    "That's not a good enough answer."

    "Too bad 'cause that's the only one I've got. As I said, he wants Soos and Stan. You guys couldn't possibly kill you precious friend and family now, could you? As soon as you pass up the chance to kill him, he'll strike; and he'll strike good." 

    "What can we do to stop him?" Mabel asked, her voice hollow. Stan was glaring at his empty plate, and Dipper was looking at me desperately. Ford was staring at nowhere, most likely thinking.

    "I can think of a lot of plans, but none of you will like it. Dipper, Mabel, Stan... I can save you guys. But Ford? He's beyond saving. All he can do now is accept the torture. Will you accept that?" I said softly. _I'm going to ruin another family,_ I thought sadly. It was the only way with less sacrifices. Ford nodded, letting us know he accepted.

    "Are you crazy?" Dipper exploded. He stood up from his chair and grabbed my collar. I didn't fight back. "I won't let Ford die. I won't let anyone die! If anyone dies, I want to go alongside them! I won't give up, and I won't let this family part ways! If anyone should die, it's you for even suggesting this kind of idea! But you can't possibly understand what's wrong with the idea, right? You probably killed your own family long ago!" 

    My eyes widened. He... He... That.. I closed my eyes, not letting anger consume me. I wanted to rip that pathetic little head of his, and hang it on the front door for everyone to see. Maybe even make it an attraction. Calm down, I thought to myself.

    I opened my eyes and kept my voice and face neutral. "You've grown, Pine Tree. You've grown since Bill had possessed you. Such a noble decision, staying with everyone 'till the end even if it ensures your death.

   "This isn't a game, this isn't a book Dipper. Bill is very much real. Bill is strong, too strong for us mere humans to understand. I know his torturing, his killing methods. I can tell you that nome of them are merciful. None of them are fast.

    "Do you want to end up like me? Being taught how to do things by Bill, being watched even as you sleep, knowing that someone is always monitoring your thoughts every second of your life? Knowing that you will be killed or worse when some unstable being doesn't like what you think?

    "Tell me, b-"

    "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Stan shouted, banging his hand on the table. His eyes were wide, and he was shaking. "That's enough. He's just a little kid who was thrown into this mess. Don't be that harsh on him. Please..." His voice cracked.

    Dipper let go of my collar and sat on his chair. He looked as if I had sucked away the soul inside him. I felt guilt eat away at me. Maybe I wasn't that good at controlling my anger...

    Even the unshakable Mabel looked depressed. The guilt intensified. I stayed silent, knowing that some cheap apology wouldn't be enough. 

    "I think that's enough for today." I said softly. We weren't getting anywhere, and time was running short. I didn't like this one bit, but Stan was right. They were just little kids, they didn't deserve to be pushed into this. I washed the dishes while everyone else parted ways to do whatever it was that they did. 

    This was bad. This was really bad. Not only had we not reached a single conclusion, but we were also fighting amongst ourselves. Time was not a luxury we had, and yet we acted like it was. Time, time, time... When was the end of time? Really, when did it all end? Everything had an end, right? Was time the exception?

    I organized the kitchen and sat at the table. I couldn't face them just yet, not after my little episode. 

    A fight with a gigantic baby... That was what Bill had left behind. I growled in frustration, yanking my hair a bit. Who was the baby? Why were they fighting? When were they fighting? Why were there so many goddamn loose ends? 

    Bill... Did I have it in me to kill him? After all, he was really all I had. The bloodshed, the fire, the screams... Could I forgive those just when I was about to pull the trigger?

    We'll see, I guess. But for now, I needed to just take a dump.


	4. -4-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^)

    Time was a luxury Bill had. He could slow time down, he could even stop time. That was what it meant to be a highly skilled demon.

    Bill, no matter how goofy he acted, was absolutely fearsome. He had mad desire, a mad... well, madness that the other demons feared and knew to get away from. That was why Bill was who he was today. Or what, depending on which point you look at.

    He was usually cool, but now he was angry. Beyond angry. 

    A demon tried to stop him from tearing apart the statue of their ' _founder_ ', but he quickly killed the fool. Anyone blocking him would share the same fate. He needed to blow some steam.

    "HOW DARE SHE?" he was shouting. "HOW DARE SHE ESCAPE?"

    His plans were slowly being crushed. That little girl... she was slowly tearing him down. She would pay. She would _pay_. 

    He still had an advantage. Amber wouldn't trust the memories he had left behind so easily. She would doubt herself, make countless of plans... Only to doubt herself again and blow her chance. She was insecure, and she had been tricked one too many times.

    But, Amber was a genius. Her mutation had helped her grow motivated to surpass everyone, and she was also born with natural talent. The girl really was something... even without knowing what exactly she could do.     

    He killed yet another demon who had been foolish enough to try to stop him. This wasn't looking good. This wasn't looking good at all. 

    Where would Amber strike? Bill had flaws, no being could live without them. But Amber didn't know him well enough to know what his flaws were. Would the last memory help her?

    Of course not. She didn't know who Time Baby was, let alone why they'd fight. She didn't know a single thing. But... Shooting Star, Stanford, and Pine Tree could help her. 

    His eyes became the golden color everyone knew and hated once again, the redness fading away. He had time, they didn't. 

_So Amber... How will you move when you don't even know when your turn ends?_

    Bill turned and walked away, leaving the other demons to celebrate his absence. Bill had more important things to do than to sit around and make those useless shapes' lives miserable.

    He had a deal to make, a deal to maintain, and a dimension to visit. He checked his suit and tie before grinning and fading away.

-•-

    Bill's human form was a sight to see. He rarely ever used it, and he wondered why he was using it now. Whatever.

   He was a slim, and looked around 19. He had golden hair, and a golden eye that shone with mischief. The other was covered with an eyepatch. He wore a golden suit and a black tie, and his face wasn't that bad either. Actually, it made a lot of ladies swoon. 

    Bill walked around the forest, trying to clear his mind. He couldn't make a deal with a clouded mind, it'd end up being a drag. And plus, he loved the woods! He didn't know why, but something about the woods in Gravity Falls always calmed him down.

    "That was where we had that fight." he mused, unaware of the fact that Amber wasn't there to hear him.

    "You were so angry with me... Guess I deserved it, but you went overboard. How could I know that you were that attached to the orphanage?" 

    Bill shook his head when he realized that he was talking to himself. That girl had ruined whatever common sense he had. 

    Why... did he even bother? Why? Why? There were so many 'why's in his head that he wasn't sure which answer was for which question. 

    Bill sighed as he leaned against a trunk. "This was where Stanford first met the anomalies of the town." 

    So many things had happened in this forest, so many things were about to happen. He wondered how the kids doing. Were they still taking it easy, or were they trying to figure out how to stop him?

    Bill sighed as he walked out of the forest. He had chosen this path, and he was going to stick to it.

_Until the end of time._

________________

Amberwasn't doing good if that was what anyone was wondering. She was beggining to overwork herself, stressing herself out. She didn't have any more nightmares, so that was a plus in its own way. But she was also not getting sleep.

    "You should take a break." Mabel insisted. She was offering the albino some of her special Mabel Juice. Heh, more like Suicide Juice. Wait, were those plastic dinos swimming in that?

     Amber didn't say anything as she kept her focus on the rift. So, this was what Bill was after? The ultimate gateway that'd connect Nightmare Realm to this dimension? Talk about small...

    "Mabel," Amber started. "What would you give away to come back to Gravity Falls, or to just make things stay the way they are without Bill." 

     The brunette didn't waste a second to answer the question. "Anything."

    "And that's exactly what Bill wants. That's exactly why you're a major pawn, both to him and us. Your loyalty, and your naïvety. You're a double-edged sword Bill wants to use. But where exactly do you stand?" 

    "I don't follow." Mabel stated, tilting her head sideways. 

    The white haired girl smiled at her. "For both our sake, don't. Help Dipper get rid of his stress, yeah?" Mabel nodded and ran upstairs. Even from here, Amber could hear her shout, "BroBro! HEY!"

    Amber leaned back against the chair. Time was running out, fast. She didn't even know when her turn was going to end. 

    "Hey dudette," Soos called out. "You've been staring at that weird globe for a long time now. You know, maybe if you change the way you look at it, you might find what you're missing. That's what my grandma told me." 

    Amber looked at him and then back at the globe. _This isn't a gateway... this is just an ordinary globe,_ she changed in her mind. She then noticed something she hadn't before. _Well... now I know._

    "Soos... you're a genius!" the girl shouted and gave the big man a hug. Soos chuckled and hugged her back.


	5. -5-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating... But, I haven't been spending the Thursday fruitlessly. I finally came up with exactly where I want this to end and how the progress is going to be. 
> 
> Enjoy the update, although it's late.

    "We're out of time." Amber announced with a slight smile. The Pines family looked at her as if she were insane, whilst Soos was being... well, Soos.

    "Why're you saying that with a smile?" Dipper asked. "This is supposed to be _bad_  news."

    Amber shook her head. "Well, imagine where we'd be if we hadn't known our time was up. I think this little update enters the _good news_ category. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it is good news. We've spent our time uselessly, fighting against each other. And now, all we can really do is fend off Bill's move. Or moves, considering he doesn't cheat. 

    "Now, I want to make something clear. This is war, not some cartoon where the protagonists survive and defeat evil in a righteous way. To defeat Bill, we might have to kill ourselves, our friends, and our family. We might have to steal, and we might have to break laws. We even might have to kill innocent people. If you want out, just say so now before it's too late."

    The albino looked at the people in front of her. They all had depressed expressions, but she didn't mind it. They had the right to be depressed, but they certainly didn't have the right to burden _her_ with their depressed little faces. 

    "We're in." To everyone's shock, it was Stan who said that. His eyes were burning with determination. "I won't let go of this family no matter the cost. I know my brother and I don't get along well, and I also know that Mabel and Dipper won't back out. Hit me with your best shot, Amber."

    Amber nodded, seeming to be in her own thoughts. "Alright. Anyone else have an anime protagonist speech to make?" When she saw no other inputs, she nodded again.

    "There will be loyal pawns, and there'll be betrayals. Moves according to the rules do not take place in this particular game. Let's see how you'll do, Cipher." Amber muttered. No one heard her.

______

    There were many stages to the way Amber thought. The first stage was what Bill had dubbed "The Questioning Stage". In this stage, Amber would ask questions to herself over and over and over. She would go through every little evidence she had, and make sure of what she knew and didn't know.

    The second stage was where she'd get as many resources as possible. Not one little resource was missed from her grasp, even though she sometimes begged to differ. 

    The third stage was where she'd view her opponent. She'd look for weak spots, flaws, anything. This was a stage Bill was confident she'd lose at, but with the Pines at her side... Well, let's just say that Bill had his doubts.

    The fourth stage was where she planned. She made plans, and boy did she make many. One time, she had even gone off and made a Plan Z. No, she hadn't skipped any letters. She had legitimately made 26 plans. 

    And then the fifth and final stage... She'd begin to organize her plans, making sure of what was A and what was Z, though she rarely ever went acording to that order. What was the point then, you'd ask. To be honest, Bill didn't know and doubted that Amber herself knew the reason either.

    Bill looked down at the floor from where he sat. The view of the forest was spectacular. Truly a shame that it was going to be destroyed soon... Maybe he'd get in Pine Tree's or Glasses's or maybe even Amber's mind from time to time to see this view again. Yeah, that could work.

    Bill took off his top hat and let the breeze make his slightly long hair flow. Time had run out for them, and he had already made his next move. _How will they react?_ he wondered. 

    _Soon enough, that rift will be mine._

________

    "The rift is cracking. Bill would know that, and I bet my life that he's getting anxious to get his hands on this. So, that's how I knew our turn was over." Now, it was only Dipper, Ford and Amber in the room. Amber was already begging to plan her counterattack, while Ford and Dipper were asking her questions. 

    "How can you be so sure that he knows?" Ford asked.

    "It doesn't take a billion smart guys to know that the rift is too powerful for a normal glass globe. The glass globe was bound to break soon enough, and Bill would be the source on that. He probably counted out the seconds left for the globe to crack while we were too busy fighting amongst ourselves." 

    "So, what do we do?" Dipper asked.

    "We keep our eyes peeled, and our guards up. You know how to fight, Ford? Good. Fight if it comes down to that."

    The three all stopped when they heard the doorbell. What could this be about? The Mystery Shack was closed, for goodness's sake! They looked at each other and ran for the door.

     "Mabel! Don't open it!" the three yelled and yanked Mabel off the door. 

    Amber looked through the little peeking hole before turning back to the trio. "Anyone of you know this fat little guy with a hair style that practically screams ' _I'm a douche!'_?" 

    "That's Gideon..." Dipper said as the twins face-palmed together. Ford and Amber looked at them curiously.

    "It's best that you don't know about him. He once minimized us and tried to take over the Mystery Shack. And then he made a deal with Bill to take over the Mystery Shack.  And then he actually got the Mystery Shack only to go to jail. Wait, how'd he get out?" Dipper put on a horrified face as Mabel gasped.

    "Once made a deal with Bill, huh? And escaping jail? I'm sorry, but those two aren't coinceidents. He most likely wants the Mystery Shack so much that he'd sacrifice anything. He'd make a deal with Bill twice... Why would Bill make such an obvious move? Unless it's a trap. But there's so much to go from... Mabel's and Soos's naïvety, Ford's and my lack of knowledge, Stan's... well, Stan-y ways. Which one of us would he hope to catch?" Amber started murmur things fast. Ford looked as if he was understanding all of it, Dipper looked as if he were following most of the murmuring, but Mabel... 

    "I'm opening the door." Mabel said, close to tears. The three were going too fast for her to keep up. Sure, they were smart, but that didn't mean that Grunkle Stan and she were stupid and useless.

       "Mabel," Amber's tone was soft. "I get it now. He wants to use you." 

   Mabel looked at the mostly colorless girl, her eyes wide with genuine fear. Amber continued. "You want to be of some use. You feel neglected by us because you're aware of the fact that we aren't giving you all the details. You want summer to last forever, to always be with your brother and two uncles. Bill is planning to use everything you love and want to protect against you." 

    "Amber!" Ford cried out warningly.

    "What? She has to know this. Look Mabel, I know this may seem harsh, and I understand that you're scared; but you've got to be brave, alright? You're our emotional backup, and that's the most important job anyone has been given."

    "I-I want to f-fight. B-but Bill..." Mabel's tears were flowing uncontrollably. Amber hugged her and began to whisper comforting words to her

    Another impatient knock interrupted the emotional moment. Dipper looked at Mabel. "Mabel, talk to him from here, without opening the door. He has a crush on you, so he might spill the beans if he talks to you."

    Mabel nodded and leaned against the door, as her legs were still shaking. "What do you want, Gideon?"

    "My my, is that you, my darling Mabel?" the annoying voice of Gideon Gleeful chimed in.

    "What do you want Gideon?"

    "Haven't you missed li'l ol' me? I can't visit the love of my life? And my rival? You know, I wrote a letter everyday in prison. Too bad the wardens didn't let me send them."

    Amber listened to this conversation intently. What in hell was wrong with the kids in Gravity Falls, really? Mabel, Soos, that Wendy girl Dipper always muttered about in his sleep (that kid's head was pretty messed up. Amber had learned so many new terms she could live without thanks to his sleep talking...), and now this Gideon kid. 

    Mabel and Dipper looked at each other with disgust. Taking that as a sign that Mabel didn't want to talk anymore, Amber decided that it was about time she let herself be known.

    "Gideon, was it? Look here, li'l ol' you. Whatever plan you've got up your sleeve? Drop them. We know of your relationship with Bill, and how much of a twisted mind you've got." She spoke as if she were confident, as if she had a plan where really, all she had right now was an urge to strangle the kid and make him stop talking with that annoying accent.

    Gideon... She knew nothing about him, so she was going to have to trust the twins on this one. Could he be trusted to some degree? Could he be a weakness of Bill? She doubted it.

    "Who're you?" Gideon asked. Oh, Bill hadn't told Gideon who she was, or why she was here? Interesting... That meant that Gideon couldn't be trusted at all, not with the information she had. Bill probably thought that Amber would be too cautious to let herself be seen, and would make herself a trump card when he sent Gideon here. His data was too old-fashioned.

    "If Bill hasn't told you about me, then your deal is worthless. Your plans, all your hard work are nothing but waste. Turn back now." Gideon thought of himself as one of the big guys in the cruel side of the world, when he was really only a child cowering in the dark. Amber knew this because she had once been just like him. Being with Bill did that to you.

    "My plans are no waste! Just you wait, li'l ol' me will run the town of Gravity Falls when this is all done!" 

    "Heh. There won't be any Gravity Falls to run when Bill's done with his end of the so-called _bargain_. Bill's a mind demon who feeds off of the negative emotions humans have; this town won't be enough to satisfy him, he'll go after the whole world. Hell, maybe even the rest of our dimension to drain his adrenalin from killing the world." 

    There was silence on the other side. When Amber looked at the horrified faces the twins had, she knew that she had probably scared the little kid off.

    "I-is that... true?" Gideon's voice was small, a mere squeak. 

    "Believe me, dude." Amber pulled her hair. Something wasn't adding up... Something was... Oh no.

    She gently pulled Mabel away from the fort and leaned on it. Something... She just needed to hear one thing. 

    The fast footsteps. Someone was running right to the door. Amber quickly realized just who, or what, it was.

    "GOMPERS WENT CRAY-CRAY!" Was all she shouted before getting away from the door. Two horn tips let themselves be shown on the other side of the door.

    The four could do nothing but watch in horror as Gompers and Gideon broke the door of its hinges.

    The kid with the tuxedo and annoying accent grinned at them. "Didn't expect that from li'l ol' me, did you?"


	6. A Flash of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an asshole. Going behind the schedule and updating so shortly? And when I'm so close to 200 hits too? 
> 
> Why do I keep confusing the damn unicorn's name? I always remember it as Clarabethabellabeth when it's really Celestabellebethabelle. Both of those names gave my thumbs a cramp...
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the update. See you in a billion more years, I guess.

    Amber saw herself in the kid that was standing in front of her. And no, it wasn't because of the white hair. It was because they both had one purpose in life: getting revenge. 

    Gideon wanted revenge on the Pines family, probably because of what the twins had said earlier. After that, Amber was sure Gideon would collapse. Or, he would try to find another purpose in life. Whatever he did, he would affect both himself and the people around him negatively.

    Meanwhile, Amber wanted revenge on Bill. He had... He had crossed the line too many times. After getting her revenge, she'd probably just kill herself off. She had no family, no friends, nowhere to call home. Whatever she did would only affect herself.

    If the goat and Gideon had made it this far, that meant that they were doing this of their own free will. And Amber hadn't even known goats had will. Whatever the case, she couldn't forgive the two. She couldn't show them any mercy, just as she couldn't show herself any mercy.

    She didn't take her knife from its hiding place. Taking it out now would be foolish, scaring the Pines and losing a trump card would be a waste. And something was bothering her. Bill and Gideon would know full well that the Mystery Shack was the Pines's and her advantage. So, why didn't Gideon have any weapons? Unless... 

    "Keep your eyes peeled and your guards up. Bill's most likely here, and the two are a diversion." Amber said, horrified with the smile that Gideon gave her.

    "Oh, you've got brains and beauty. Too bad I've only eyes for Mabel here. What gave us away?" Gideon asked, pulling off an innocent face.

    "You've no weapons. You were sent here to rip the unicorn hair and give Bill the access to get in. You're here to drive our attention away from the rift so Bill can steal it from us." 

    Gideon began to giggle, which soon turned into a laugh. He was practically rolling on the ground now. Gompers was acting like a normal goat now, sniffing Gideon's hair and then taking a bite.

    "Ah! Ah! Stop it!" Gideon screeched as Gompers followed him, wanting more of his luxurious hair. Eventually, the two ran off into the woods.

    Mabel looked at Ford. "Should I go visit Celestabellebethabelle again?" Ford looked too shaken up to even hear what she was saying, let alone answer.

    Why hadn't Amber warned them about this earlier? Why hadn't she thought of the fucking unicorn hair before it was too late? 

    _You'll always be too late._

    She refused to believe that. She absolutely refused to believe Bill. 

    _So naïve..._

    She wasn't naïve anymore. She wasn't. She had learned her lesson. 

    _When will you learn?_

     She learned. She learned back then. She learned, god damn it! So why... But why...

_"Hey, kid. You want to be happy?" the demon, Bill, had once asked her._

_"Yes! I want me, my parents, and my schoolmates to be happy!" she had replied._

    _"How about we make a deal? Let me take over for five minutes, and I'll make everyone you know happy."_

 _Bill grinned at Amber, his -_ her  _\- eyes twinkling with joy and insanity. Amber looked at the scene in front of her, horrified. She floated away from the kitchen and slipped her hands into a pair of socks. He would pay._

 _Her hands were shaking with rage._ He would pay _._

"Amber!" She was snapped out of her thoughts. Dipper looked at her with a worried face. "It's not your fault. We should've thought about protecting the unicorn hair from Gideon. Though, we didn't expect him to break out this fast." 

    Amber looked at the boy. She had not right to burden them. It was her fault for being too naïve. She formed the best smile she could. "Yeah... Well, there's not much we can do about that right now. For now, all we can do is defend. If he's broken Gideon out, that means he's not that far from breaking himself out. We have to be prepared for it, hell try to prevent it." But how?

    "I have to ask you again... Are you all with me?" Amber asked. She smiled when she saw them all nod.

    "This game doesn't follow any rules. There will be pawns whi betray, and moves that'll be so far off the rules it won't even matter. Now, let's cheat."

    She walked out of the shack, not minding the fact that she was actually outside after so long.

    "Ford, the mind erasing magic-y machine." Amber held out her hand and caught the gun thrown at her. She made a peace sign. "You guys, plan you positions. I'll just get some back-up." 

    Now... Where would they hide?


	7. Small Backup Army

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update. Take it as an apology for my tardiness. I also really got into Dengeki Daisy, though I dunno why. Every time I read it the pedobear song starts playing in my head.
> 
> Also, Ansatsu Kyoushitsu is life <3 Who knows, maybe I'll do a fanfic about the two later on, if I feel like it... Anyways, enjoy the update :)

    Amber despised what she was going to do right now. Throwing her dignity, honor, pride out the window for this... For things like them...

    She remembered when she asked the twins if they had any connections to the creatures in the woods.

    _"Well... The gnomes once kidnapped me and tried to make me their queen. Then we asked the gnomes for help against Gideon when he stole the shack, though that backfired majorly. Now we don't know where we stand with the gnomes." Mabel replied._

_Amber had just patted her head and said: "Don't worry, no one knows where they stand against those creatures."_

_Dipper, looking a little_ _ashamed_ , _raised his hand. "Uh... I once used a copying machine to copy myself. I had, like, 9 or so clones. I played a little prank on Robbie with them, and I still don't know where Clone 3 and 4 went or are. I guess they're still in the woods with Robbie's bike."_

_Amber, after laughing alongside Mabel, just nodded. Now... If the twins had nothing else to offer..._

_"I also have some connection towards the unicorns. I beat the up ongside Wendy, Grenda and Candy." Mabel offered._

_Unicorns could be a little difficult to deal with... Amber would use them as a last resort._

_"You think we can find that mailbox, Mabel?" Dipper asked his twin._

_"No... How sad, we could've used it to find a strategy. Unless Bill was the one controlling it..." Dipper and Mabel looked at each other and burst into giggles._

_"What?" Amber asked, annoyed that she was left out of the fun._

_"Well, you see, we once found this random mailbox in the woods. We asked it questions which only we knew the answers to, and it surprisingly answered them all correctly. I was about to ask it who the author of the Journals was when Mabel acted before me and sent it a video of her stuffing gummy worms up her nostrils. It disappeared with a mail saying that we weren't worthy of its knowledge." Dipper replied._

_"So.. You sent a being with God-like powers a video of you stuffing gummy worms into your nostrils?"_

_"Yes."_

She had ended the conversation there, kindly refusing Mabel's offer to show Amber the "amazing gift of stuffing gummy worms into one's nostrils".

    She looked at the gun in her hands, and began to write something. She grinned when she read the text she'd written and fired the gun on herself. This was why she kept on organizing her plans in a fashion that'd make no sense to most people. She wondered if Bill had found out, or if he had given up on finding out about it. The latter would be great, thank you very much.

    She fished out the envelope in her pocket when she neared the bar. Using both plans was unlike her, as she hated to lose two plans in one go. But right now, this was the only option she had left. And plus, all of her other plans were sure to fail. She had to go without any plans for this occasion, keep herself flexibLe and able to decide in an instant. There was no telling what Bill would do now, as he had broken Gideon out of jail too soon for even an impatient demon like him.

    No matter how you looked at it, Bill was beginning to show a side to himself Amber had never seen before. Right now, the demon and herself were like strangers who'd never seen each other before. Amber wondered what was going through that sharp (pun intended) head of his. 

    Thinking and stressing too much would do no good, regrets were nothing but a waste. She knew that, but she just couldn't help herself. " _If only I hadn't..._ "s, doubts, outcomes were all that we're going through her head. 

She entered the bar, taking note of the sudden change of atmosphere when the gnomes noticed her. She smiled at them and sat down on the floor. How cute they were, with their little heights... They were also capable of doing great damage, too. And that was exactly why she had gone to them first. _  
_

    "Good afternoon, gentlemen. So, I recently started to see some new people. I heard that you tried to rape one of them, ain't that right?" I asked, smiling innocently. "I'm really close to them, and I was very angry when I heard that. You wouldn't want to see me angry, would you?" 

    "W-we didn't!" one of the gnomes cried out. "That's a lie!" 

    "Oh? Allow me to jog up your memory. Long brown hair, _endearing_ braces, silly sweaters? You remember, don't you?" 

    "That's one of the girls who almost arrested me!" the gnome at the far back shouted. Amber had made deals with him on more than one occasion, but she just couldn't remember his name. Oh well, it wasn't that important anyways. 

    The rest of the gnomes looked a bit pale. A bit too pale. Bingo, now Amber had herself an army who'd do whatever she wanted. 

    "The little girl was only twelve, and you tried to rape her to make her your queen... What if I kill every last one of you? Then you won't have to choose a queen at all, let alone choose her with such methods." This was a side of her she'd rather die than show the twins. She was happy that they hadn't insisted on coming with her.

    The gnomes were too shaken up to make a sound. How easily could she kill all of them? It wouldn't take more than 5 minutes, she figured. 

    "There _is_ a way you could escape my wrath," she said as she placed the envelope on the floor. "Read the envelope, and do as instructed. You and I both know that you have nowhere to hide, I know you guys and the forest too well. So, just do what I say and we'll both have what we want. Hell, maybe I'll find you a queen. You have until the deadline to react." With that, she crawled out of the bar and walked out of the enchanted part of the forest. Bluff always got you somewhere... No way was she going to beg them to help her. It was better to not let them think that she was desperate for backup.

    She stopped in her tracks, wondering if she should get the unicorns gathered up as well. Nah, she'd damaged her pride too much already, she'd probably come back for them later. Maybe with the girl called Grenda. She resumed walking, looking up. _It's probably 3 p.m, judging by the sun's position_ ,she thought to herself. 

    The two clones, the manotaurs, and the Multi-Bear would provide nice backup, though Amber feared it may not be enough. She didn't know much creatures capable of human speech. She had once tried to tame a Gremloblin... Needless to say, it hadn't ended well for the both of them. 

    Would Bill be able to counterattack her moves? No, it was impossible. She herself had no idea what the outcome of her moves were. There was no way that you could counterattack a move you had no idea what it could lead to. 

    She bit her nail. The nail she had been able to scratch Bill with long ago. She usually did that when she needed good luck. She lowered her head and smiled darkly.

                        ~

    By the time Amber was finished, it was nearing 10 p.m. Putting her pride aside had been difficult, and getting the manotaurs and the Multi-Bear to work together had been ten times harder. _That_ was saying something... And to top it all off, she hadn't been able to see Clone 3 and 4 anywhere. Maybe they'd died from some rain soon after?

    She typed in a text on the gun and fired it on herself again. There was no way she could let Bill know of all this. 

    When she was greeted by the familiar sight of the Mystery Shack, she relaxed. At least she could get some good sleep after this. Perhaps Mabel and Soos would cheer her up... She shook those thoughts out of her head. She was starting to grow too dependent on these people, and that scared her to no end. 

    She was about to knock when something hit her. Wait... What if someone was already possessed by Bill? If she told something only she and the Pines knew, then she'd have to let Bill in on it, too. Assuming he wasn't let in on it by their mind already...

    She frowned at her pessimistic thinking, but she couldn't help it. This kind of thoughts were what had kept her alive for all these years, she couldn't just ignore it.

    Amber thought for a bit and confirmed her idea. It was better to let the Pines worry than to let Bill know what she'd been up to. She sat down and leaned on a tree as she hugged her sweater closer to her body. It was starting to get cold... When did summer end, anyway? She hadn't really checked the date...

    She closed her eyes. It didn't matter, nothing mattered. Family, friends, home... She didn't need those things. She had lived without them for so long, it just didn't matter. Killing Bill was her only purpose of existence, the only reason she lived. 

    She would continue to walk in this path built with despair and anger. She had chose to walk it herself, after all.

_Until the end of time._

                _ ~~ **-When is it?-**~~_


	8. Happy Early Messed Up Birthday?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only 17 days left until the first part my exam! Oh frick, I'm stressed. This exam will most likely determine my whole life so... 
> 
> My school is doing this question solving thingy (we call it "camp") starting Monday, so I'll get home from school 2-3 hours later than I did before. Expect short chapters, and late chapters. Hell, I might not update at all before camp's over.
> 
> Love you guys, and I'm really sorry.

    Waking up to a face on a chin can be frightening on many levels. Amber wondered how Mabel could sleep at night, thinking of the horrified faces. Actually, she wondered how the brunette had come up with the idea. Perhaps somethings were better left unknown...

    "There's only one week left until our birthday!" Mabel exclaimed happily, as she practically jumped up and down.

    "And also a week until summer ends." Dipper said. "Amber, what will you do?" They were asking her? 

    "Don't know. The top priority for me is to defeat Bill." Amber replied. 

    "Oh! I know! Maybe you can come with us! We'll go to school, do everything together!" Mabel suggested.

    "Or maybe you can stay in the Mystery Shack with Grunkle Ford and Stan! You'll look after it for us and we'll talk online!" Dipper said excitedly.

    Amber wondered exactly why they were being this nice to her. She hadn't really done anything worth this. 

    She smiled the best she could and nodded. If she were to just disappear... Would they forget about her? She didn't want to know the answer, but she feared that she'd find out soon enough.

    The Pines led Amber in, though not after receiving a lecture from Stan. She found that she liked Stan a ton more than Ford, despite the fact she hung out with Ford more. Ford only cared about his studies, while Stan cared about family. Amber liked that care in a person.

    Amber, Stan, Dipper and Mabel sat at the living room, planning the twins' birthday. Amber wanted them to have the best birthday they possibly could; so she began to plan the best she could, putting the Bill thingies to the corner of her mind. 

    "We can do it in the high school then!" Mabel said. Dipper nodded and Amber smiled.

    "Ah, ah! Help!" Ford's cries were heard through the shack. Dipper quickly stood up, excusing himself.

    "Mabel, check out what's going on. If it's an adventure, prevent Dipper from going." Amber quickly ordered. No way were the twins getting separate today of all days. Plus, Bill was still unstable.

    Mabel stood up and walked out the room. Amber and Stan looked at each other and sighed.

    "Dipper has Ford's mindset, it's only natural Ford would begin to draw him out." Stan said. 

    "I'm not going to allow that to happen. This family isn't going to separate ways." Amber replied, leaning to the side of the chair. 

    "Why are you determined on that? Isn't your top priority Bill?" 

    "It is... I don't know. I just..." 

    "How about you tell everything from the start?" 

    "Why are you comforting me?"

    "You remind me of myself. I don't want to see some else like me." 

    "It's a bit late for that."

    "Just tell me. Maybe your burden'll lighten up." 

    I took a deep breath. Maybe he just would leave me alone after this. And so, I began to tell him my story. "I... wasn't what my parents had expected. My albinism made me stand out like a sore thumb among other people, and that made me abnormal. My parents didn't want some freak show like me.

    "And so, they ignored me. I made my own food, bought my own supplies... School wasn't fun, either. My classmates and teachers alike bullied me. The only one who recognized me was Bill, really. So, I put my faith in him. It didn't matter if he was a demon, as long as I had someone to hang on to...

    "One day, he suggested that we make a deal. He said he'd grant me, my schoolmates and teachers, and my family happiness if I kept my end of the deal; which was to let him take over for five minutes. I accepted the deal, it looked like a fair enough trade at the time. What did he do the second he got hold of my body? He murdered my family.

    "His logic was simple, as it was twisted. If my parents were dead, they couldn't see me. I'd either go to jail in suspicion of the murder or run away, meaning that my classmates wouldn't see me either. And with that, I wouldn't have to see the people who had made me unhappy. It was happiness for all of us.

    "I... I ran away and managed to shake suspicions off. The police found me after a while and I was taken to an orphanage, where I was treated no better than I was at my school. Bill began appearing everywhere: my dreams, everything I looked at...

    "He drew me insane, beyond insane. Finally, I gave into it and set fire to the building. There was only one survivor, myself. From then on, I've lived in the woods." That was the summary of it. There was no way Amber was going to tell him about her... _activities_ in between the events.

    Stan was quiet for a second. "I don't think that you should beat yourself up too much about your life. It's the devil's life, yes, but it wasn't your fault."

    "I wasn't strong enough, that's all there is to it. Don't comfort me." Amber didn't want to hear comforting words. She didn't want anyone to wrap her wounds, she didn't want her desires for revenge to be sucked out of her like poison; because that so-called _poison_ was her only purpose in life.

    "Not even Ford was able to keep him-"

    "FORD, FORD, FORD. IS THAT THE ONLY WORD YOU KNOW? GUESS WHAT, STAN? I'M NOT YOUR DAMN TWIN BROTHER, AND NEITHER ARE YOU! KNOW HOW TO RESPECT YOURSELF AND STOP COMPARING EVERYONE TO YOUR BROTHER!" Amber shouted, standing up. 

    Stan looked at her with wide eyes. Amber just turned her back to him and walked away. What was taking Mabel so long?

    She found Mabel after walking for a little while. The brunette had tears in her eyes and the two little geniuses were nowhere to be seen.

    "Mabel, are you alright?" Amber asked plainly. She had no more energy left to act kind.

    "Yes!" Mabel replied, quickly wiping her tears away and giving the albino a smile. The smile was off, really off.

    Amber said nothing about it, partly because she didn't want anything to do with her sob story when Amber had recently got over her own.

    "Where's Dipper?" Amber asked. When Mabel flinched, Amber knew the girl had failed the mission the albino had given her.

    "No matter," Amber said. "We'll plan your birthday without Diper knowing. It'll be a surprise party for him." 

    Mabel smiled again, a genuine smile that wasn't off this time. Amber smiled as well, without having any decision over the action. Amber swore, Mabel's smiles were contagious no matter how many times you got vaccinated.

    Amber led Mabel to the living room and the three - Mabel, Stan, and Amber - planned the younger twins' birthday. Though, they never planned what'd soon happen.

**< >**

    It had all happened so fast that Amber didn't know how to react. Mabel had ran out to the woods, and now Bill was laughing his ass off.

    Ambet ran into the woods in hopes of finding Mabel. She dodged the animals and supernatural beings as she went, swearing like a sailor at them for being so indecent.

    Bill was now nowhere to be seen. _Probably scaring the crap outta the townsfolk_ , Amber thought. Well, there was nothing she could do about that. 

    She wondered what had happened to make Mabel run off to the woods in the first place. Amber really had to have a nice _,_   _long_ chat with Dipper and Ford one of these times...

    "Mabel? MABEL!" Amber called out, but there wasn't any reply. And you'd think a girl who liked wearing silly sweaters and had no hiding skills would be found very easily... Amber wondered if the brunette was taught by ninjas or something. Plus, since Dreamscape was leaking into this world, everything had a black and white tint to it. All the more reason why Amber should find Mabel easily.

    This wasn't looking too good. Amber should've told Mabel about the rift, Amber should've told Stan about the rift. If she had, they wouldn't be in this goddamn mess.

    Amber bit her left thumb nail, she could use lots and lots of good luck right about now. And wait... Were those trees talking?

    Those trees were talking. And walking. Amber became aware of the colorful bubbles drifting around her now. What were those bubbles filled with? Whatever it was, it most likely wasn't healthy. She made a mental note to stay away from the bubbles after she saw a tree stick out its tongue after going through one. Since when did trees have fucking mouths, let alone tongues?

    "I am Groot!" one of the trees exclaimed happily as it tried to step on her. Amber rolled and bolted forward. Thankfully, the trees were slow and had lost interest on her quickly.

    She leaned on a normal tree and looked at the mind erasing machine she had forgot to give back to Ford. Now that Bill was here, it'd be useless against him. She smirked and put it back to its hiding place inside her sweater. Whoever said she'd use it on Bill?

**Bill's P.O.V ("omg a pov change thank god." said the readers.)**

    The fact that Bill couldn't see her really got on his nerve. She could be anywhere right now, planning against him with all the resources in the world. Meanwhile, he was forced to act like he already had everything under control when he really didn't. 

    Bill didn't doubt his powers, oh no. He got stronger by the second as the Nightmare Realm slowly combined itself with this dimension. Soon enough, almost nothing could stop him. Except for _them_.

    Capturing Shooting Star? Piece of cake. Capturing Stanford? Easy. Convincing Gideon he was the one in charge? He had had more diffuculty teaching 1-year old Amber how to walk. They were easy.

    He floated above his pyramid base as he observed the party, talking about his domination plans with the rest of his gang, acting like he had all the time in the world. Actually, he did have all the time in the world... Those sayings were outdated. Maybe Bill'd make his own sayings when he fully took over the world. 

    _Now then, where are you, Amber?_ he thought as he sent some of his floating eyeballs to search for her. Then, he floated away from his pyramid base and joined a game of spin the person.

    He could use lots and lots of relaxation right about now.


	9. Hard Times, The Apocalypse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^) an update  
> :^( 11 hours of school  
> :^) I read a fanfic 'bout Alois x Ciel and it is life  
> :^( I just found out that Levi x Mikasa is a legit thing... wtf they're related and I'm against incest. *I see you there, Elizabeth x Ciel shippers*
> 
> I'll stop now. Enjoy~

    Amber ran out of the woods, understanding that finding Mabel was impossible. Mabel'd turn up sometime, so Amber didn't worry about her. Yet.

    A weird, purple wave made its way towards her, and she quickly dodged it. Knowing Bill, those waves' side effects were probobaly not as pretty as they looked.

    She quickly called out when she saw a glimpse of brown, and gray hair. "Dipper, Ford!" she shouted as she ran. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a flying eye with bat wings.

    _An eye?_ she thought. The eye shot out red light and it was at that moment she knew, that it was one of Bill's minions. She scrambled away and hid behind the rock with a human face. Was it a rock, or was it a face? The world may never know...

    She glanced back at the field just in time to see the eye fly away. She couldn't let herself be known, not yet. If she danced out of Bill's vision, there'd be so many things she'd be able to do. 

    She'd have to entrust Dipper to Ford, although the thought made her sick to the stomach. Ford would know a weakness she didn't, and he'd act on it alongside Dipper. She didn't want them to kill Bill, she didn't want anyone but herself to kill Bill. 

    She shut her eyes tightly. This wasn't a matter of pride, this was a matter of life and death; and not just for her and the Pines. She'd have to hang her desires of revenge along with herself. 

    Taking another glance at the field, she ran out of her hiding place. She sincerely hoped the creatures would answer her call.

**Dipper's P.O.V:**

    Dipper was not having a good day. He was scared, he was shaken up, he was sick to the stomach, and he was running from strange creatures that looked like Grunkle Stan's creations for the shack. 

    Oh, and Mabel wasn't with him. That was a nice, big plus right there. He had to find her... He had to apologize. Where had Amber ran off to, anyway? Couldn't the _genius_ albino figure out just how much he needed her right now? 

    _Of course not_ _,_ he thought. _She doesn't work like that_. 

    He dashed into the mall, hoping to escape the monster with the strange tendency to talk about Dipper getting in his mouth.

    "That's rude, ya know? Ignoring someone talk is really rude." the head said, feeling around the area in front of Dipper. Dipper took deep breaths and ran further into the mall, calling out for his friends and family. 

    He remembered what Amber had told them. This wasn't a cartoon where the protagonists defeated the villain in a righteous way. They'd have to make sacrifices. 

    _I_ know _,_ he thought. He was tired of Amber's words always echoing in his head. He went into a random food restuarant and was met with a pleasant surprise.

    "Well, at least I can fill my appetite with the world's last nacho..." he said to no one in particular. He grabbed the box, but was trapped in a net soon after. How'd he fail to see the trap?

    "Help! The nachos tricked me!" he cried out, desperate for someone to hear him. If this was one of Bill's minions' doing...

    "Dipper?" a familiar voice asked, and a redhead popped out of the fern. Oh god, had Wendy...

    "Ah, Wendy! You've turned into a tree monster!" Dipper exclaimed, pointing. Those bubbles of insanity, they really were tricky business.

    "Relax, Dipper, it's only camouflage. Let me help you with that." She stepped out of the potted tree and cut Dipper's net with a pocket knife. The boy fell on the ground with a _thud_.

    Dipper stood up and hugged her. At least he had gotten hold of one of his friends. "Wendy, thank god! I thought all the people I knew had..." 

    "Hey, Dipper. We're together now. We have each other, OK?" Wendy comforted him. Dipper hugged her a little tighter before letting go. 

    A gunshot interrupted the silence. Dipper and Wendy tensed up. Wendy placed a finger on her lips and began walking out of the restuarant. Dipper followed her out of curiosity.

     Dipper's eyes widened at the sight he saw in the enterance. The head who'd chased him here now had a hole in his head. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, his mouth open. He held his hand up to his mouth, trying not to throw up. That was when he noticed something else. Amber was standing in front of the hand and was poiting a gun at Wendy. Wendy was returning the favor with her bow.

    "Stop!" he shouted as he stepped in between them. The girls'  eyes widened. 

    "You know her?" Amber asked. Dipper knew that Amber was referring to Wendy.

    "Yeah, she saved our butts a lot of times and she's our friend." Dipper replied. Amber's eyes... They were different. Before, they were shielded. Now, they were full of rage and insanity. She wasn't herself.

    Amber lowered her gun. "If you're a friend of Dipper's, I can trust you. With a physical form, it's impossible for Bill to get inside your head anyways." 

    Wendy lowered her bow as well. "Are you saying that you wouldn't trust me if Bill didn't have a physical form?" 

    "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Plus, I'm not about to give you my full trust. We're only allies, working towards the same goal. Being friends is a waste of effort and time." Amber said. It was certain, something had made her angry. 

    "Amber, have you got any plans?" Dipper asked. 

    "Not even a bull's shit. It's better to go out there flexible. Now, I've got some appointments here and there, but before them I've -- we've -- gotta find Mabel." Amber said, hiding her gun in the waistline of her skirt. Dipper realized that she was wearing Mabel's clothes. Wait, of course she would. She didn't have any clothes of her own beside the ones that were ripped and stained with blood.

    "Amber, was it? Look, I've got more training than you so dont get all mighty." Wendy said. What had gotten to her all of a sudden? Dipper looked at the two, unable to understand what was happening.

    Amber held her head with her hand and turned her back to us. "If any of you know a safe place, take the lead. I can't let Bill know where I am, nor where you guys are. We can't hide in a rubble forever."

    Dipper nodded and looked at Wendy for support. He didn't know anywhere safe except the Mystery Shack, which was now anything but safe. 

    "Yeah, I have a secret hideout. Toby, come on!" Wendy walked past us and we followed her. Toby Determined soon caught up to us. 

    "This just in-" Amber cut Toby off by smacking her hand to his mouth. She watched as the flying eyeball flew away before letting go.

    "Let's move." Wendy said as she headed for a garage door with a writing on it: _DUDE KEEP OUT_.

    Once the four were inside, Dipper quickly sat at an available seat while Wendy sat in front of him. Amber leaned on the wall as she also sat. Toby went off to do whatever it was that he did.

    "We were in the cemetery when all this happened. The flying eyeballs just came and took Lee, Thompson, Tambry, and Nate away. Robbie almost escaped but he had to pause to take a selfie. What were you up to?" Wendy asked Dipper.

    Dipper took a deep breath as the guilt returned, eating at his insides. How had he forgotten about Mabel? "I... I was in a fight with Mabel. Ford had asked me to be his assistant, to stay in Gravity Falls and research the anomalies in this town for as long as we lived. I said yes, and Mabel didn't take it well. She... She couldn't even look at my face." 

    Amber raised her hand. "She has all the right to not look at your face." 

    Dipper looked at the albino in shock. He had thought that his decision would've pleased her. "Well then," he said defensively. "What were you up to when all this broke out?"

    Amber's eyes flashed dangerously. Seriously, what was wrong with her? "What was I doing? I was trying to make Mabel happy. The girl found out her friends weren't going to be there for the party, and that all she learned was just some lie. Her birthday plans had been ruined, and Bill was just the cherry on top.

    "And then you added the sprinkles to the messed up cake. You agreed to just pack up your bags and leave her, your twin that you've spent your whole life with, in a matter of minutes. I tried to comfort her but she wouldn't speak. I went to the kitchen to get some Pitt Soda for her only to see that she was gone when I returned. The second I stepped out of the room, Bill appeared and began to laugh and the gate between the worlds had opened. I tried searching for her, but the search was fruitless." She leaned her head onto her hand. She was hiding something from them, that was obvious.

    "You were the one saying things about trust. How can we trust you if you hide things from us?" Wendy said, standing up. 

    "I am hiding things, I'll admit that. But believe me when I say I'm hiding them for a reason." Amber stood up, but she immediately turned to the garage door.

    "I have a bad feeling about Mabel and lots of other things. Do you know anything about a giant baby with a strange mark on his forehead, Dipper?" Amber asked, turning towards the brunette.

    "Uh... You mean Time Baby? Well, I've met him once. Or twice, if you count glancing as a meeting. He's pretty strong; and it's apparent that he's the leader in the future, whenever that may be." Dipper replied.

    "The mailbox, what have you asked it?" 

    "Uh... What Soos had shaves on his head... What Soos's ideal type of woman is... When the world would end-"

    "That's it! What was the answer?"

    "3012." 

    "That makes little sense but we'll go with it. Now, I want you to look at whatever Journal you have and find information about the flying eyeballs."

    "I can't. Bill-" 

    "You saw Bill? I want every detail about your encounter. What was he like? Was he still yellow?"

    "Yes, he was. Well, Ford said that we could defeat him before he got any stronger. I went with him to the top of the clock tower and he took aim with this strange weapon, one that he claimed could kill Bill. The only letdown was that it only shot once.

    "Ford took aim and focused on Bill only. And then a buble passed over the bell and t came alive. It distracted Ford and he was only able to hit Bill's top hat. Bill regenerated, and shot the tower. Ford was stuck in the rubble. He told me to take the Journals and hide, that he knew another way to defeat Bill. But before he could say anything else, Bill grabbed him.

    "I hid and watched the whole thing. Bill asked Ford to join his side, and Ford refused. Bill turned Ford to... To a golden statue. After that, I got out of my hiding place and challenged Bill. He not only dodged my attacks, but he also took the Journals and burned them. He told Teeth and 8-Ball to eat me, but I escaped. The rest you know."

    "What happened to Bill? Surely, he was capable of frying you for them."

    "Bill left off with the rest of his demon friends for a VIP party at the pyramid." 

    "Where do you plan on going with all these questions?" Wendy interrupted. Amber grinned at her, her eyes twinkling with insanity and joy.

    "Here. At least I know what Bill's plans are for now." Amber jumped up and down like a kid at a candy store.

    "What are they?" Dipper asked, a little unnerved by Amber's current state.

    "I'll walk you through it. Now, whe would you throw a party when you're so close to taking the world?" Amber asked, inspecting her nails.

    "To prove that you're in control of everything?" 

    "Yes. And? Why would you throw a party at your house with of your mighty friends?"

    "To lure people in." Dipper replied, suddenly horrified.

    "But why would Bill want to lure people in? I mean, no one in the right mind would go to that pyramid." Wendy said.

    "Exactly. No one in the right mind would go there. But I'm insane, and you guys want to be the heroes of the day. It's pretty sensible for Ford seeking you out, Dipper. You're smart. Doesn't mean he was right, though."

    "Wait, you asked about Time Baby so... Are you certain he'll show up?" Dipper asked. How could Time Baby show up? I mean, he should know that this is a part of time if he was all powerful and from the future.

    "Here's the thing, Dipper. Bill fought with Time Baby before. I don't know why or when, but they had one humongous battle. I have a feeling that that battle has a lot to do with the one we're fighting now. Time Baby'll show up. And I'll make sure he has every opportunity to kill Bill." Amber said. 

    "How do you know that?" Wendy asked. 

    Amber turned to her. "Because he gave me the memory of it." 

    "What do you mean, Amber?" Dipper asked. Bill had given her his memory?

    "Bill's been in my head since I've been born, but I've only been able to create a selfdefense system when I was 9 years old. The second he was out of my mind, I'd forget him. That is, unless he left something to freshen up his presence. He left memories. I know how he took control of you, and how he felt. I know what Ford was like in the past, I know how mad he was when he found out when he found out he was in the head of the wrong Stan, I know lots of things. The last memory he left me was the battle." Amber replied somewhat bitterly. Dipper gently put his hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. 

    "Hey, what are we going to do now?" Wendy asked.

    "Weren't _you_ the one who said that you've got more training than us? Answer yourself. _I'm_ gonna find Mabel, take care of my appointments, and try to be in time for Time Baby's grand entrance." Amber said. She headed for the garage door and threw it open.

     Dipper looked at Wendy, silently pleading her to come with them. Then, he followed Amber. 

    Amber was Amber, no matter what the other people said. Dipper'd follow her, because he trusted her. She may be insane, her only goal in life may be to kill Bill, she may be hiding things; but she wasn't lying or sugarcoating.

    That was what really mattered to Dipper now. He didn't care about one's past, all he cares about was how they acted. Because that was what kept people alive at times like these. That was what Amber had taught him. 


	10. Shooting Star, Hanging onto the Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The exam is tomorrow... I'm stressed, dudes. Anyways, I wanted to make you happy and get my mind off of things for a while so here y'all go.
> 
> *tries to be Gideon but fails*
> 
> Enjoy!

    Dipper looked around from the roof. Bubbles of insanity and the eyeballs flew all around town, making it impossible for the three to walk aimlessly. 

    "There really are no heroes here. Bill was right." Dipper said to himself. 

    "Heroes? That's based upon who wins. If Bill wins, he's the righteous hero who has defeated all the villains. If you win, then history will record you as the hero. That's if we don't wipe their minds." Amber said. "Heroes as you know it don't exist though. I'm certain we've talked about that before." 

    Dipper nodded, looking down. Amber gave him a smile and hugged him gently. "I know this is a lot for you to carry. You don't have to carry it all on your own, though. You have Wendy, Mabel, Ford, Stan and many more friends and family willing to help you with whatever you need help with. Hell, if you want, _I'll_ carry most of the weight." 

    "How about you, Amber? You never let any of us help with your weight. You know that you have friends, right?" Dipper asked. Amber believed that there were no heroes, but Dipper believed that Amber herself was a hero. Not letting anyone carry her weight in fear of breaking them, not letting anyone shoulder everything on their own. Those were things only a hero would do. 

    She pulled away, smiling at him. Then she faced the town. "If I were Bill, I would hide Mabel at the pyramid. I'd lure out the rest of the Pines, the only humans capable of beating me, and kill them. But, Bill isn't that straightforward. He's insane, and he wants us to despair as much as we can before we bite the dust. So, Mabel's somewhere-" 

    "Look!" Wendy cried out, pointing at something. The big bubble of insanity in front of them had moved away, letting them see a big sphere with a shooting star on it.

    "That's the symbol on Mabel's sweater!" Dipper said.

    "Shooting Star, trapped in the sky. How ironic, how Bill." Amber said. She had a stupid grin on. "We're coming Mabel, hang on tight."

    Dipper smiled at her. He really hadn't thanked Amber for taking care of Mabel when he was incapable of doing it himself, had he? Well, he'd have to postpone it to when all of this was over. 

    "She's there." Dipper said, taking on a dramatic pose. 

    "Whoa, is that twin ESPN or something?" Wendy asked.

    "Nah, Mabel and I don't have that. But we have this weird thing with our allergies acting up at the same time." Dipper explained. He sneezed at the end. Goddamn allergies...

    "How do we get there?" Dipper asked. 

    Wendy smiled. "I know a way, come on!" The three ran from the roof. They took cover as they moved slowly, careful to not let the eyeballs see them. 

    Amber smiled. "Genius." Dipper looked at her questioningly but she only shrugged. Dipper understood only when they neared the discount auto sale. 

    They jumped over the fence and began to walk around. Wendy was blabbering in excitement about tanks. 

    They all stopped dead in their tracks when lights flashed on them. They faced the cars. 

    "Look at them _walkers_!" 

    "With no _wheels_!"

    "Hahaha; _walkers_ , _walkers_!"

    Amber looked at Dipper and Wendy curiously. Meanwhile, Wendy and Dipper had on faces of horror. _Those_ guys...

    "Look, we only want a car. We don't have any business with you!" Wendy cried out.

    "And that's where y'all are wrong." a voice said. 

    "A southern accent?" Dipper asked. He had a bad feeling about this...

    "Gideon?" Wendy and Amber asked in horror. Gideon stepped forward, cackling. By that, Dipper meant giggling like a girl. 

    Amber looked around. "Hey, anyone know how to hot wire a car?" Wendy raised her hand.

    "I'm not letting y'all go anywhere, I'm going to take you to Bill." Gideon said. 

    "You have two options, Gideon." Amber said, holding out both her hands. "Let us go, or lose everything you've known all your life in the fraction of a second." 

    "Now why would I lose anything?"

    "'Cause Bill's like that. You think you know him, you think you're the one pulling strings. But in reality, you're as worthless as dirt in his eyes. He probably bargained Mabel in return for us, but here's the thing: He'll kill Mabel as soon as you get us in that pyramid."

    "Ya know, Bill said a whole lot about you. Your name's Amber, ain't it? And you're his little toy. If he had had you in the first place, maybe he wouldn't have taken over the world." 

    "You can't be sure about that."

    "But you admit there was a chance?"

    "Hell if I do. He wouldn't have taken over this world, he would've made _me_ take over the world  _for_ him. And trust me, you would've wished that Bill was sitting in that pyramid instead of me. _Wendy_ wouldn't have been prepared for that kind of apocalypse either."

    As soon as they got that signal, Dipper and Wendy ran to a car. Wendy hot wired it at record speed, and they were soon on their way. Amber held out her hand and grabbed the frame of the rolled down window at the back.

     Amber scrambled in and rolled up the window. "We have a six year old and six steroid guys chasing after us as Bill's insanity bubbles are closing in. This is bad."

    "Ya think?" Dipper and Wendy shouted. Amber seemed a little more sheepish to Dipper. Maybe she was finally getting used to them. How ironic, getting used to people when it was literally the end.

    "Just trying to analyze the situation. Umm... Wendy?" Amber's eyes widened. Dipper looked forward, and saw that Wendy was driving the car to a pretty wide (and probably deep) trench.

    "If I go fast enough... Hang on, guys!" Wendy warned. Dipper practically ripped the seat belt whilst trying to fasten it.

    "IT'S NOT THE TRENCH I'M WORRIED ABOUT!" Amber screamed as they went flying over the trench. The car went through a few bubbles of madness, and the car was soon rolling on the ground. Dipper unfastened his seatbelt and looked around.

    "Guys, are you OK?" Dipper asked. Wendy was out cold, and he knew Amber wasn't in any better shape. He shook Wendy. "Come on..." He could hear Gideon and his gang getting closer. Dipper rolled down the window and unfastened Wendy's seatbelt. He turned to see Amber, who had already unfastened her own seatbelt and was trying to get to the other side of the car that was facing upwards. She had blood trickling down her chin, and her wrist was swollen and purple. Amber smiled at him and nodded notifying that she'd live. Dipper nodded in return and threw one of Wendy's arms over his shoulders. Just when he was about to move towards the window, a guy appeared. A fat guy... "Soos!" Dipper shouted, more than relieved to see his friend.

    "Hey dudes." Soos greeted before helping Dipper up along with Wendy. Then, he went over to help Amber get out. Amber hugged him quickly.

    "Soos, you always know how to surprise peeps." she said, smiling. She let go of the man before facing the cars that now surrounded them. Wendy woke up and stood on her own, leaving Dipper with less weight; which he was strangely thankful about. He also faced the cars -- more specifically: Gideon. He had known that Gideon would come back to haunt them someday, but he had never imagined it'd be like this.

    "You're one stubborn old fellow, I'll give you that." Amber said. She looked as if she couldn't care less about the threat that opposed her. "I'll personally see to it that that stubbornness becomes your downfall." Dipper glared at her. Amber herself was stubborn, and she was insuring that they never got the answers out of him because of that. He decided that he should take the control.

    "Look, Gideon. Just tell us how to free Mabel." Dipper said slowly. Maybe sweet tongue could convince the snake to abandon its hole.

    "There's no way you'll get to Mabel so long as I have the k-" Gideon was cut off by Amber pointing her gun at him. Everyone looked at her as if she were insane, which Dipper was sure she was. Gideon began to sweat. "I-if you kill li'l ol' me, y'all will have to deal with 'em!" he threatened, pointing to his gang.

    "Now why would I have to deal with mere corpses?" Amber asked, undoubtedly amused with Gideon's fear. She cocked her gun, smiling peacefully. "Tick tock on the clock, kid. Give us the key, we'll set you free."

    "I-I'll-" Gideon stuttered, but he was too late to say whatever he had wanted to say. Amber fired the gun and killed one of the guys on the right. Dipper watched the man collapse and his shirt began to take on a crimson color in horror.

    Amber cocked her gun again and pointed it at the man beside the one she had just killed. "You thought I was bluffing?"

    "Y-you're insane!" Gideon cried out.

    "Sure I am, what's your point?" Amber replied, grinning. Gideon's eyes widened.

    "Th-that's what Bill had-"

    "Said? Why yes. I didn't remember you the first time I saw you, but I do now. You made a deal with Bill to take over Stan's mind, didn't you? Too bad you promised him the wrong Stan. He's pretty mad at you, ya know? He wants to get rid of you the first chance he gets. That chance will be when you turn us in. Now, will you give us the key, or do you want me to spill some more blood? Either option is fine by me."

    "NEITHER!" Gideon shouted and blew a horn. "Now the eyes will come. The eyes will take you and Bill will give me Mabel."

    "So you're doing this for yourself? Is that what Mabel would want, Gideon?" Dipper said, desperate for Gideon to take the eyes back. If the eyes saw them... It'd be game over. "You love her, don't you? So tell me, Gideon! Would Mabel like what you're doing right now?"

    Gideon looked taken aback. "Of course! I'm doing this for us!"

    "No, you're doing this for yourself! You're selfish!" Gideon turned his back to them. Dipper's heart sank. Game over.

    "You're right." Gideon said softly. Dipper looked t the smaller boy in surprise. "This isn't," Gideon continued. "What she'd want. We're switching sides! Come on, guys! Let's show Bill just what we're capable of!" The gang cheered and hopped on to their cars. Gideon tossed Dipper the key.

    "Wait!" Amber cried out. They stopped and looked at her. She took a deep breath. "First of all, remember my behavior earlier. That is what you're going to meet with when you face Bill. I'm not going to apologize to, nor am I going to forgive you. Second of all, you are going to fail. If you're lucky, you'll get killed; if you're not, you'll get turned to a statue and get treated horribly." Amber took a deep breath. "So, I'll come with you. Bill needs a little reminder, if I do say so myself."

    "Reminder of what?" Gideon asked. Amber just smiled at him. Dipper hugged himself to get rid of the chills he got from the smile. That didn't look too promising.

    "You've got a plan." Soos stated. "I don't know what you're thinking, dude, but go for it." Soos patted her head. Amber nodded at him.

    "There you have it. Will you let me join you? It's your decision." Amber said, looking up at them.

    "Hop on." one of the guys said. Amber grabbed onto the frame of the windows and smiled at Dipper, Wendy and Soos.

    "If I'm late, tell Mabel my greetings. And also, if you see the gnomes, Multi-Bear, and the Manotaurs anywhere; tell them to wait for my signal." she said and then waved goodbye. The cars began to move forward, and they were soon out of sight. Dipper nodded at his two companions and they began to move the opposite direction.

    _Don't let your pride take over, Amber._ Dipper thought. _We still need you with us._


	11. Desire What Counts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for neglecting this! I actually almost forgot about it! I'm so, so sorry! 
> 
> My life's actually kinda messed up right now. I think all this studying is finally taking a toll on me, as I'm starting to have random panic attacks and am feeling signs of depression. It's seriously hard hiding these from my family, so that stress and extra work is also working to my disadvantage. At least I have you guys...
> 
> Enjoy the update

    Inside the bubble... What _was_ inside the bubble? Dipper didn't know what to make of it. White... White everywhere. 

    "Guys!" Wendy warned and Dipper looked down, hearing something crack. The floor was... They all screamed as the floor beneath their feet was taken away. Soos held onto them.

    "If I must go, I might as well go whilst protecting my friends!" Soos shouted out. Little did he know that if he must go, he'd go whilst _suffocating_ his friends. 

    "Soos... Can't... Breathe..." Dipper said, feeling lightheaded. The three landed on the ground lightly, which caused Soos to let go of the two in surprise. Dipper quickly moved forward, not wanting to die. 

    "So Mabel..." Wendy started, catching up to Dipper and looking around herself. The three were in the woods of Gravity Falls before Weirdmegaddon happened. 

    "Let's go to the shack." Dipper suggested, earning nods of approval from his companions. They, having memorized the route, started to walk east. Dipper was surprised at the setail of everything around him. He hadn't thought his twin would pay attention to her surrounding _this_ much, being her goofy little self. He stood corrected.

    "Even that moss is in the right amount. Should I be scared?" he heard Wendy whisper. He didn't bother replying, since he was asking the question to himself as well. The trio poked their heads from a bush, trying to see if the coast was clear. It was not. 

    There stood Mabel, some other Dipper, and some other Amber. The two girls were laughing, while the other Dipper was blushing madly. Grunkle Stan, Ford, and a couple were sitting on the couch at the porch; watching the three preteens with smiles on their faces.

    "I don't like this, dudes." Soos muttered. Dipper nodded, feeling uneasy. He wondered what Amber would do if she found this. 

    "Face it, bro-bro! You _loooove_ Amber!" Mabel said with a giant grin on her face. The other Dipper stuttered while the other Amber just laughed harder. The couple stood up, and walked over to Amber.

    "Amber sweetie, it's time to go." the man said.

    "Aw, come on! Please, just one more hour! Mom, Dad!" Amber begged, and Dipper felt his eyes widen. How did Mabel...

    Of course. This wasn't her real imagination, it was all made by Bill. And of course Bill'd know what Amber's parents would look like. Dipper studied the couple closely, trying to see who Amber resembled more.

    Amber mother had black hair and brown eyes from what Dipper could tell. Her face had sharp features like a fox's, and he had to admit that the woman was attractive. Amber's father certainly wasn't a body builder, but he did have muscles. He had blonde hair and colored eyes. Dipper figured Amber got the shape of her eyes from her mother, and her nose build from her father. But, that was where the similarities ended. 

    Dipper suddenly remembered how he had accused Amber of killing her family, and how her reaction had been. He wondered how her parents actually had been, in reality. Wait, why was he thinking about them in past tense? He didn't know if they were alive or not, so why was he so certain about thinking in past tense?

    Dipper shook his head, clearing the unnecessary thoughts. "We have to grab Mabel when she's alone." he muttered. 

    "Well, no duh, dude." Wendy replied. "Wouldn't wanna attract unwanted attention."

    They watched as the other Amber reluctantly left her friends, following after her parents. The other Grunkle Stan and Ford made their way over to the twins. "I'm going to search around the forest," the other Ford pointed at the other Dipper. The other Dipper nodded gleefully before turning to Mabel, who smiled at him as if saying _go on_. The two adventure lovers quickly walked into the forest and were lost in sight.

    "I swear, they never get tired of that forest..." the other Grunkle Stan complained fondly. Mabel giggled and nodded. 

    "I have some errands to run, so don't talk to stranges!" Grunkle Stan warned, and walked off. Mabel laughed a little before making her way to the shack. She didn't get far before she was quickly caught and dragged into the bush. She trashed and licked her captor's hand, which quickly got her the reply of "Ewwww..."

    She trashed a bit more, seeing as she still wasn't free. "Dude, Mabel, calm down! It's us!" Wendy exclaimed. Mabel looked up at them in surprise, then mumbled something.

    "Oh, sorry!" Soos said, removing his hand. Dipper rolled his eyes and looked at his twin.

    "Mabel. I am so sorry for what I said! I-I didn't think you'd be this upset! I'm sorry! I thought about it, and I don't think I even want to be Ford's apprentice." Dipper's voice cracked in various places, but he didn't mind it for just this once. He quickly hugged his twin, not knowing why he had even said yes to the stupid offer.

    "Dipper?" Mabel asked, still in shock.

    "No matter what, we'll be together. We've always faced things together, and we always will! I can't believe I was so stupid that I believed that I could throw that away..." Dipper continued, hugging his sister a little tighter.

    "Dipper... Wendy... Soos... Why are you here?" Mabel asked. "I... Don't want to..."

    "What?" Dipper asked, letting go of his sister and looking at her in the eye.

    "I don't want to go back. Neither should you! Stay with me! We'll be safe-"

    "Mabel, are you hearing yourself? What about the others?" Wendy asked. Soos looked completely shocked.

    "They... They all left me. But you guys..." Mabel replied, sniffling. Tears strealed down her face.

    "What about Grunkle Stan, what about Ford?" Dipper asked. 

    "I-"

    "We still don't know where Grunkle Stan is, and Ford got turned into- turned into..." Dipper's voice cracked again, and he knew that if he continued he'd cry.

    "Amber left with Gideon to try to save as many townspeople they could and buy us time. Mabel, we're not enough! We need you!" Wendy continued for Dipper. Dipper smiled gratefully at her. 

    "That's why we should stay here! Bill can't get to us in here, we'll be safe!" Mabel argued.

    "Mabel, this whole thing was created by Bill. I don't like how you're viewing things." Soos replied.

     Mabel looked at them, obviously not convinced. The trio were starting to get seriously worried. "Guys, in here I can make anything happen! We can all live peacefully!"

    "Mabel?" a voice asked right behind Dipper. Dipper turned around, frightened. It was the Amber from the bubble.

    "Amber! I thought you left..." Mabel said.

    "I begged my parents until they finally agreed on one final hour. Then I find this! What the hell did you guys do when I was gone?" 

    "Y-you see, Amber..." Dipper drifted off when Amber closed a lot of the distance between them, inspecting the wounded boy.

    "You're Dipper, and yet you're not. The real Dipper would get flustered when I did this." Amber said. "Who are you?"

    The four all looked at each other before Wendy sighed. "Look, Amber. What I'm-" Mabel smacked her hand against Wendy's mouth to ahut her up.

    "We were playing this intense tag game, then we remembered Pacifica's birthday was coming up. So, we just randomly sat down and began to plan a surprise birthday part for her!" Mabel lied. Dipper couldn't help but be shocked at how his twin lied so fluently. What had happened to her in this bubble?

    "Pacifica's birthday isn't in the summer, though." Amber said with a genuinely confused expression. Had Amber been like this in the past? Dipper couldn't really believe it. "And there's no way you guys can get this many wounds from each other unless..." she drifted off, looking a bit thoughtful. "Unless? That's funny, I forgot what I was about to say." 

    Mabel laughed. "The all-mighty Amber finally forgets something!" 

    "Anyways, can I join you guys? I want to have some salt in the soup too!" Amber said, getting a gleeful glint in her eyes. Wait, what? 

    "Yeah, sure!" Mabel agreed. Amber sat next to Dipper with her legs crossed. The group was silent before Amber broke the silence.

    "So, I was thinking of purple llamas everywhere!" 

    "Why?" Soos asked. 

    "Purple 'cause she mostly wears that color and llamas because..." Amber drifted off again, getting a far away look in her eyes. "I forgot again." she stated. Dipper was getting worried now. Was this Mabel's doing? No... She couldn't possibly do that, could she? 

    "Amber, let's have some pink triangles too." Dipper said.

    "Why?"

    "Pine trees!"

    "Dipper-"

    "Maybe even shooting stars!"

    "DIPPER!" Mabel screamed. Dipper looked at Mabel, to find a broken glint in her eyes. Dipper paid no mind to her. If Mabel wasn't getting out of this bubble with her own free will, then she wouldn't. She would be forced.

    _You have to make sacrifices._

_Even if it's my twin's love?_

_There's no such thing as a_ hero _._

_I know. There's only the one who wins._

_So, will you win?_

_Yes._

_Then do as you please._

_Do you have what it takes?_

_Yes, I do._

_Then why are you still sitting?_

_Are you thrown off?_

_This isn't your sister. This isn't your Amber. This isn't your town. This isn't your responsibility. Do as you like._

_This_ is _my sister._

_What of the rest?_

_I'll destroy it._

_Then show us, Pine Tree._

    Dipper grabbed Mabel's hand and ran. Wendy and Soos quickly caught up to him, meanwhile Amber was having trouble catching up to them and taking in what had happened. "What's going on?" she cried out.

    Dipper ran harder, despite Mabel protesting. The adrenalin was doing its magic by making Dipper stronger and faster than he could ever dream of being. He saw the whole world crumbling before his eyes. He heard the screeches of things behind him, that was probably Amber. 

    Dipper gasped as he saw a cliff beginning to appear. That was the edge, and if they could get a running start... Mabel forcefully yanked her arm away, but kept running beside Dipper. Dipper took a quick glance at her before turning forward. 

    "We'll jump, then." Soos shouted almost to himself. No one minded him. All around them, the once beautiful woods were now going to be the source of Dipper's nightmares. The trees grew horrifying faces, trying to trip them with their roots. Horrifying and dark parodies of dwarfs, manotaurs, fairies, every mythical creature Dipper had either encountered or read about tried to stop and/or slow them down; which fortunately didn't work.

    The cliff was getting closer now. Dipper didn't know whether it was because they'd been running, or because the ground kept collapsing. He didn't think much about it when he jumped from the edge of the cliff, thinking back on all the lessons the Manotaurs had given him.

    He was met with the sight of Weirdmegaddon, which bizarrely filled him relief. They were home, the home they'd fight to take back. Dipper landed on the ground with a slight _oof!_ and looked at his companions with a slight smile. "We made it!" he breathed out. Mabel, however, didn't share his happiness.

    "Why?" she asked. "We would've been happy there!"

    "Mabel, even if all my desires had come true there... I still wouldn't be happy. Although living fantasies are great and all, we still have too much happy memories here. And I want to live more. My apology still stands; whatever we do, we do together." Dipper said and opened up his arms. "Awkward sibling hug?"

    Mabel sighed and ran into his arms. "The whole thing was Bill's creation anyways, there was no certainty he'd keep his end 'till the very end. And after seeing what happened when I was reminded of reality again..." she hugged him tightly then loosened her grip a little. They patted each others' backs awkwardly, saying "Pat, pat." as they did so.

    "Let's go to the shack." Wendy suggested after the twins finished their hug. The three nodded at her suggestion and they made their way to the shack they missed oh-so dearly.

    "I think this is the first time I'm actually happy to go to work..." Dipper heard Wendy mutter, and Dipper had to spend a lot of energy to not to laugh. They pled their heads out of the bush, seeing the coast clear. Diper got an awful déjà vu from what had happened not so long ago.

_Go on, Pine Tree._

    Dipper almost jumped at the sudden sound, but knew better than to retardedly look around. This voice was in his head, after all. He didn't reply to it, mostly because he was weirded out.

     Dipper picked up a bat, while Wendy picked up a crossbow. Dipper silently counted down from three to one before banging the door open with his bat ready to swing. That was until he noticed who had been ready to attack in front of him.

    "Grunkle Stan?" he and Mabel asked together. 

    "Kids?" their violent great uncle looked at them, shock written all over his face. He ran up and hugged them. "Oh my god, kids! My kids are alive!" 

    "G-Grunkle St-Stan ca-can't brea-eaaaaathe!" Mabel wheezed out. Their grunkle quickly let go of them.

    "What happened? Where's Stanford and Amber? What's that Dill Psycho doing?" Grunkle Stan questioned. Dipper laughed at the name.

    "Well, Mabel was trapped so we rescued her. Ford was... Turned into a statue and taken to Bill's pyramid. Amber left with Gideon to buy us time and try to foil some of Bill's plans. We don't know what Bill is doing right now. Oh, and also, Amber told the Manotaurs, dwarfs and Multi-Bear to standby for orders." Dipper answered.

    "Wait, Gideon?" Grunkle Stan asked. His voice was shaking a little bit, which let everyone know the part about Ford shook him. But, of course, he was trying his best to not let it show.

    "Upon some further persuading, he's officially on our side. Even if he tries to betray us, Amber let it be clearly known that she won't hesitate to kill him and his squad of prison buddies." Dipper replied.

    "Who's Amber?" Pacifica asked.

    "Oh, right. We never did go out after the whole unicorn ordeal. Amber... Well, you'll see-"

    "Attention, all the surviving Gravity Falls citizens." the voice of the triangle demon rang out from outside. The people in the shack turned towards the door and got ready to attack. "I have a special announcement. Or rather, someone else has an announcement." 

    "Hello," this was Amber's voice. 

    "Amber!" Grunkle Stan breathed out, and ran outside. Before Dipper knew it, he was outside along with the others. The pyramid's top corner was showing off holograms to east, west, north and south. The holograms showed Amber tied down to her hands and knees.

    Amber didn't look that bad. Blood was trickling down her chin, and she had cuts and bruises everywhere; but that was it. Her purple eyes didn't betray a single emotion. "My name is Amber. Most of you probobaly know that. I am currently in the pyramid up in the sky, and beside me is a throne made of the citizens who were turned to stone. On the bright side, Ford has been turned back to a human. Say hi, Ford!" A weak "Hi..." was heard. 

    "Oh, the dorito's getting mad. So, I'm supposed to be saying that there is no hope left. Gideon and his gang have been executed, Ford is chained up across the room, Time Baby's molecules have been separated. You were right, Dipper. I don't believe that I will live long enough to meet you all and say goodbye properly, so I'm going to say this now: It's a pleasure to meet you, and goodbye. Now that that's out of the way, I must conclude this stupid speech of mine. Openupyourenvelo-" Amber screamed in anguish as her body began to burn in blue flames, and the hologram retreaded abruptly.

    Everyone's eyes were glued to the place where the holograms used to be, trying to make all the information sink in.

    "Dipper Pines shall be in charge if I ever die." a voice shouted out. Dipper looked at the direction of the voice, seeing Multi-Bear holding an envelope. Oh, right, Amber had told people to open their envelopes; whatever that meant.

    "This envelope was given to us by Amber! This has the plan and answers to some questions we might have asked her." a dwarf yelled out.

    "That's Amber's small back-up army she said she'd gather..." Mabel realized. Dipper nodded. "And you're in charge, bro-bro!" Mabel punched his arm, and Dipper chuckled.  

    They just might win. 

_Good luck with that, Pine Tree._


End file.
